Improvement in plug-tobacco machines



T. W. PRATHER. 'PLUG-TOBACCO, MACHINE'.

Patented Jan. 23,1877.

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f -Ulvrrnn Srra'rE-sPATENT @ruilenr Y per wheels of each pair. apron, that is of the same width as the face of THQMASlW. PRATHEBpOF UNION-HDEBOT, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLUGTiOBQQO"`VMACHINES,

Specification forming part of=Letters Patent No. 186,496, dated January 23, 1877; application filed- November 4, 1876. 4

To all lwhom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs W. PRATHER, of Union Depot, in the county of Sullivan and State of Tennessee, have inventeda new and Improved Tobacco-Plug Machine, of

which the following is a specification:

Figure l is a plan View. Fig. 2 is a ceniral longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line .fr a: in Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspending parts.

My invention consists in an arrangement of rollers for forming plugs of tobacco from leaves, which are fed to the said rollers by an endless apron; and it also consists in aV face will just t between the flanges of the roll B'. lThese rolls are placed apart a distance equal to the required thicknessof the plug. A pair of rolls, G C', are placed near the rolls B B', and are similar in all respects to those just described, except that the lian ged roll C is placed above the plain roll C'.

The shafts of the rolls C C' are geared together by spur-wheels a, and the shafts of the rolls B B are geared together in a similar way by spur-wheels b, and the two pairs of rolls are caused to rotate together by an in 'termediate pinion, c, that meshes into the up- D is an endless the rollers B B'.` A

The outer shaft d of the said endless apron is provided with a pinion, e, that is moved by an in'termediate wheel, E, which takes its motion from the lower wheel b. The surface of the endless apron D is on a line with the upper surface of the rolls C' B'. F is a attened q rectangular tube, that is of such size as to allow the continuous plug that comes fromthe roll to readily pass through it. It is pivoted frame of the machine, and is connected with a lever, y, by the rod h. The said lever is pivoted at c', and is pressed upward by the springj, and its upward motion is limited by a pin, k. H is the main or driving shaft of the machine, upon .which the pinion l is fixed, which meshes with the lower wheel a. A crank, m, is formed in the said shaft, which is capable of depressing the lever q at every revolution. I is a circular knife, that is secured to a shaft, n, that runs at right angles to the shaft H, and receives its motion from a bevelwheel, G, on the shaft H, which meshes into a pinion on the shaft n. The said circular knife is placed near the rectangular tube F, so as toV be capable of cutting the plugs from the continuous roll or plug that runs through the said tube, as hereinafter more fully described.

T is an endless apron, that revolves in front of the knife I, and receives its motion from the shaft of the roll C by the belt o.

The tobacco is prepared by the stem mers, in the usual way, and the necessary amount of stock to form a continuous plug of the required breadth and thickness is placed on the apron D, and by it fed to the rolls B B', by which it is compressed and moved forward to the rolls C C', which compress and shape it, and deliver it to the rectangular tube F.

The normal position of the said tube is horizontal, and while it is in this position the plug passes through it over the circular knife I. At intervals the tube F is drawn down byv the lever g, which is moved by the crank m, and a plug is cut from the continuous rclll or plug, and delivered to the apron J, which carries it forward to the wrappers. The plug, in passing through the first pair of rolls, is finished at its lower side by the flanged roll B', and in passing throughthe second pair of rolls the' flanged roll G-flnishes the upper side of the plug.

The advantages claimed for my machine are, that the tobacco may be sufficiently coml pressed in passing through the rolls to form it into a smooth solid plug, which is finished `by applying the wrapper. I am thus enabled to dispense with the first wrapper, which is more costly than the filler.

With my improvement, low-pricedI operatives can make a number of thousands of plugs per day,whereas by the method of mak-A ing them by hand, experienced operatives are required. and a smaller quantity is manufactured.

Having thus described inyinventioml claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combinatiomiu a plug-tobacco machine, ofthe front lower flanged roll B, upper `plain roll B, and the rear upper flan ged roll C, and lower plain roll C', as and for the purpose set forth.

knife I, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the crank H, lever g,

rod h, tube F, and spring j, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the rolls B B C C', apron D, tube F, circular knife I, and endless apron J, substantially as shown and described.

THOMAS W. FEATHER.

Witnesses:

SAM. W. RHEA, WM. V. VANCE. 

